Grand Stade de Casablanca

Grand Stade de Casablanca[lower-alpha 1] is a proposed title of the planned football stadium to be built in Casablanca, Morocco. Once completed in 2030, it will be used mostly for football matches and will serve as the home of the Morocco national football team, and it will be the second biggest stadium (after the Camp Nou) in the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The stadium is planned with a capacity of 113,000 spectators, making it the largest football stadium in Africa and second largest football stadium in the world. If completed, it will replace Stade Mohammed V.

Grand Stade de Casablanca
Great Stadium of Casablanca
LocationBenslimane, Morocco
Coordinates33.536109°N 7.511156°W / 33.536109; -7.511156
OwnerMorocco national football team
Capacity113,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened2028 (planned)
Construction cost$500 million
Tenants
Morocco national football team
Wydad Casablanca
Raja Casablanca

The initial idea of the stadium was for the World Cup in 2010, for which Morocco lost their bid to South Africa. This included five major stadiums across the country, including Ibn Batouta Stadium, the Stade de Marrakech and two more in the major cities of Agadir and Fes. It was one of the fourteen host venues for Morocco's bid to host the World Cup in 2026. It would have staged the Opening and Final matches if Morocco was awarded for the World Cup but lost out to the United bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States.

History

Over the years, there have been persistent rumors surrounding the construction of a new stadium and the anticipated timing of its completion. These speculations gained momentum, particularly after Stade Mohammed V suffered damages from multiple games, particularly involving teams like Raja Casablanca and Wydad AC. These two teams have a significant stake in African interclub competitions and domestic tournaments. However, the situation took a new turn with the qualification of the Morocco national football team for the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This achievement prompted the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to take the lead in hosting major football events, such as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Furthermore, a promising collaboration with Spain and Portugal has emerged as they jointly bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.[1] This progress has reignited discussions about the long-desired construction of the Grand Stade of Casablanca, initially proposed for the 2010 and 2026 FIFA World Cups. These developments were further confirmed by Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, during a government meeting led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch on June 22, 2023.[2] Fouzi presented the comprehensive details of the joint bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, emphasizing the central role of the stadium's construction in the bid.

Notes
  1. From French: "Great Stadium of Casablanca".

References
  1. "2030 World Cup: Spain and Portugal announce bid to be joint hosts". BBC News. 4 June 2021.
  2. "Akhannouch chairs inaugural meeting to discuss Morocco's bid for 2030 World Cup". en.hespress.com. hespress.com. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.


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